Jon Tuxworth

MAL MENINGA has labelled the snubbing of Canberra youngster Shaun Fensom, omitted from the NSW emerging squad, as ''extremely surprising''.

The Queensland Origin coach declared that the 23-year-old workhorse would not have been overlooked had he been eligible for the Maroons.

Five Raiders players, Terry Campese, Josh McCrone, Joel Thompson, Blake Ferguson and Jarrod Croker, were named in the 23-man squad this week. But Fensom, who won the Raiders' 2011 player of the year award by the length of the straight, was a curious omission.

Fensom racked up 1135 tackles last year, eclipsing the club record set by retired skipper Alan Tongue in 2006. Despite his tremendous workrate Tongue never played Origin, and Meninga hopes Fensom does not suffer the same fate.

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Many view the lock a future captain of the Raiders, and he could be a bolter when Canberra eventually settle on their 2012 leader.

Fensom has only recently returned to full training since undergoing pre-season shoulder surgery, and should be fit for Canberra's first trial game, against Melbourne on February 11.

''I think the five [Raiders selected] deserve to be in the emerging squad, but I was extremely surprised Shaun Fensom wasn't involved in it as well,'' Meninga said. ''If he was a Queenslander, I'd pick him. He'd be straight into the [Maroons] emerging squad, don't worry about that. I think he's a fabulous player.''

Fensom's defensive workrate can already be compared to those of noted hard men Paul Gallen and Nathan Hindmarsh. He completed an incredible 75 tackles in Canberra's win over the Bulldogs in round 11 last year.

And it's that quality that has Meninga convinced he is tailor-made for Origin.

''Whether you're winning or losing you get the same value out of Shaun, and they're the type of people you want to play with,'' Meninga said. ''Shaun's a pretty level-headed young fella and keeps working his butt off. He'll understand by playing well for the Raiders he'll get his opportunities in rep football anyway, and put egg on people's faces who don't think he deserves to be there.''

Meninga said a green and gold jersey was not out of Fensom's reach if he developed his attacking game.

''As he matures he'll become a better player with the ball; at junior level he was quite good with the footy. At the moment he's a tackling machine, but if you get the other side of his game right too he's going to be an extremely valuable player, not only for the Raiders but for NSW and Australia. His heart and workrate is enormous, and he has the talent.''